Lamp for generating and burning acetylene gas



(No Model.)

0. W; BECK. LAMP FOR GENERATING AND BURNING AGETYLENE GAS.

No. 590,941. Petented Sept. 23, 1897.

' STATES PATENT nrica,

CHARLES TV. BECK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,941, datedSeptember 28, 1897. Application filed July 2'7, 1896. Serial No.600,613.(N0 model.)

To and whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that LCHARLES W. BEoK,a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain'newand useful 1m provements in Lamps for Generating andBurning Acetylene Gas, of which the following is a specification. i

Calcic carbid is a substance which when subjected to the action of waterforms a carbon vapor of high illuminating. power by the combination oftwo atoms of carbon with two parts of hydrogen, this product beingcalled acetylene gas. An extremely small quantity of the carbid willfurnish a large quantity of the gas, and said carbid is thereforeparticularly well adapted for use in portable lamps.

My invention has for its object to provide a lamp adapted to contain acharge of this compound and to bring water or watery vapor in contacttherewith in such proportions and at such rate as to supplya steady flowof gas to the burner; and to'thisend the invention consists in thematters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in theappended claims. g

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away and insection, of a bicycle-light embodying my inventionin the best form nowknown tome. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through thecorrespondinglynumbered line in the preceding figure. Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail of the lower part of said lamp, explanatoryoftheconnection be tween the fluid-reservoir and the body of the lamp.

A represents an ordinary headlight or lantern for a bicycle, and B theimproved lamp attached to the base thereof in position for use. Thefountor body C of this lamp is of any suitable external outline to forma receptacle for the oarbid and generating-chamber for the gas and isprovided along the internal wall with a series of ascending hollow ribsor tubes C, open at thebottom and practically closed at the top, exceptfor the small perforation c to permit the escape of gas.-

These ribs have also a series of perforations 0 along their length toadmit gas into the channel along the interior, and they rise fromadjacent to the base of the'fount to near the upper edge thereof,bringing their closed upper ends above the contents with which it ischarged.

The top of the fount or receptacle is hermetically closed by thescrew-cap D, which first inturns horizontally to form a broad shoulderd, then rises vertically, providing an upper gas chamber or reservoir D,is beaded, as at d, to catch under the spring or other catches d at thebase of the'lantern,

and then closes over and terminates in the tube D having a burner d atits end. Inside the cap and'extending beneath the gaschamber thereof anddividing it off from the primary gas-chamber D at the top of thegenerating-chamber is placed. a sheet E of porous material, such aswoven fabric, adapted to serve "as a filterto the generated gas, andthis is held in place against the inturned shoulder'of said cap by meansof an annular ring or gratingof metal E, sprung into place and held bythe bulging checks 6 of the screw threaded rim of the cap. Any othersuitable means may be employed for applying and securing the filter inplace.

The bottom of the fount is bored-to receive the screw-threaded reducedend f of the perforated tube F, constituting the receptacle fortheslaking agent and that'rises vertically through the center of thefount to a point just beneath the filter-diaphragm, is closed at itstop, which latter portion maybe of external wall of the tank, so as tomake a leak-proof joint. Just above the shoulder the tube is providedwith an outsetting annular wing F the purpose of which is to break upICO or loosen the contents of the exterior receptacle formed by thesurrounding walls of the fount, and above the wing the wall of the tubeis covered with porous material G, which is sufficiently compact topermit the fluid contents of the tube or inner receptacle to seep butslowly through into contact with the carbid with which the outerreceptacle will be charged. The porous envelop may be omitted and thetube packed with porous or spongy material and the latter saturated withwater to a sufficient degree to promoteinflltration through theinterstices g of the surrounding casing and into the adjacent carbid, orthe apertures in the casing may be made sufflciently small or few innumber to properly retard the escape of fluid. The lower of theseapertures g are near the bottom of the fluid chamber or tube, so as toinsure water passing through them and into the charge of carbid. One ormore of said apertures, as at will, however, open into thegenerating-chamber above the level of said charge that is, into theprimary gas-chamber D so that as fluid is exhausted from the tube andconsumed in the chemical reaction going on in said generating-chambersufficient of the gas generated thereby may enter the top of the tubeabove its fluid charge to equalize pressure in both chambers. Inassembling the parts the tube is first put in place. The outercompartment is next charged with the calcic carbid and the cap, with itsfiltering-diapln'agm, applied and screwed on. Then the tube is chargedwith water, its nut turned into place, clamping it in position and atthe same time closing the feed-orifice by means of the plug, and thelamp is ready for use.

In operation the fluid contained in the tube or central compartment orin its spongy packing will seep through into the carbid. The humectationthereof will at once initiate a chemical reaction, setting freeacetylene gas, which will rise through the body of the carbid or throughthe semitubular channels along the sides of the tank, pass through thefilter-diaphragm into the gas-chamber, and from thence reach the burner.IVhen one charge of the calcic carbid has been exhausted, the cap willbe removed. The fluid tube or receptacle will then be unfastened anddrawn out, and the wing at the foot thereof will drag upon the exhaustedcharge, which will usually be somewhat caked, and assist in clearing andejecting it. Then the lamp will be filled as before.

I do not intend to limit myself to the precise features of constructionor arrangement of parts hereinbefore described, considering that theconstruction is susceptible of various developments and modificationswithout departing from the principle of my invention. Neither do Iconfine myself to the use .of calcic carbid as a charge for the lamp,since I may use in place of calcic carbid any equivalent therefor; but

\Vhat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lamp the combination of a gas-generating chamber, a gas-jetcommunicating therewith, a liquid-receptacle smaller in crosssectionthan the interior of the generatingehamber and arranged to projectfreely within the latter, so as to be exposed to the contents of thegenerating-chamber at its sides, pores in the side wall of theliquid-receptacle, and a compact absorbent body covering said porouswall, constructed to permit a slow seepage of the liquid therethrough.

2. In a lamp, the combination of a gas-generating chamber, a gas-jetcommunicating therewith, a liquid-receptacle of less capacity than thegenerating-chamber and centrally disposed Within the latter, the wallsof said liquid-chamber being perforated throughout its height, and atubular wick surrounding said liquid-receptacle, with the outer surfaceof which the carbid rests in contact.

3. The combination to form a lamp for generating and burning acetylenegas, of a compartment to hold carbid, ascending conduits in said chamberextending from points within the body of carbid upwardly above thesurface thereof, to direct the gas, and a communicating compartment tohold the slakin g agent separated from the carbid-compartment by aperforated wall, provided with a porous covering.

t. The combination to form a self contained lamp-fount for generatingand burning acetylene gas, of an exterior compartment to hold thecarbid, a central compartment to hold the slaking agent, means to causethe seepage of said agents into the carbid, a gaschamber above saidcompartments and a filter interposed between the gas-chamber and saidcompartments.

5. The combination to form a lamp, of the fount for the reception ofcarbid, the ascendin g tubular ribs along the internal wall thereof,perforated for the admission of gas, the central tube or compartment forthe reception of the slaking agent, the porous envelop therefor, thegas-chamber, and the burner.

6. The combination of the fount, the fluidtube shouldered andscrew-threaded at its foot and having an inlet along the axis of thescrew-threaded extension, and the nut with its insetting plug.

7. Thecombination of the fount, the removable fluid-tube, and theoutsetting wing near the foot of said tube. 8. The combination with thefount and the removable fluid-tube, of the removable cap and thefiltering-diaphragm removable with said cap.

9. The combination to form a lamp for generating and burning acetylenegas, of a receptacle to hold the slaking agent, a generating-compartmentto hold carbid, a gas-jet communicating with the genelatingcompartmentand means for controlling the fiow of IIO liquid to the cal-bidcomprising an elongated my inveutionI affix my signat'ureflntvhepressupport arranged to project within the mass ence of two Witnesses,this 25th day of July, of earbid and a Wick or covering of absorb- A. D.1896.

ent material upon said support, freely exposed I CHARLES XV. BECK. 5 tothe carbid, said wick being supplied with Witnesses:

liquid from theliquid-receptacle. ALBERT I-I. GRAVES,

In testimony that Ielaim the foregoing as OWEN XVILLIAMS.

